A Warmer Life
by Thegingertardis
Summary: After the Christmas Invasion and New Earth, the Doctor decides a relaxing day at the Beach is in order. How will their relationship change as the two grow closer, inevitably facing the changes that neither want to speak about? Ten/Rose Oneshot


**This started out because I had sunburn and wanted to write Rose with sunburn, but then the story just kept evolving and well, sunburn was no where in sight. Whoops. **

**A Warmer Life**

* * *

Rose grinned as she stretched out on the silky sand, allowing the sun to beat down on her. It just felt amazing. Between the warm weather and the Doctor's new and somewhat warmer personality, she couldn't help but be happy. That didn't mean she didn't miss her old Doctor, who wore his leather jacket like armor and only showed his warmth when no one was looking. Still, it had been three weeks with this new Doctor, and she had to admit he was growing on her.

After Christmas and New Earth, his destination of choice was Velonius X, some planet located a few light years away that specialized in warm weather and relaxing. He claimed that he thought she could use a break, but from the way he's been acting lately, she'd say that he needed the break more than she did. He slept more than he used to and began to eat more as well. All a part of regeneration, he'd claim, when she would find him stuffing his face in her mum's flat after Christmas.

Regardless, they did actually land on Velonius X, and Rose had to admit the beach was beautiful. The sand ranged from light pink to pale orange, reminding Rose of a peach; the water, or the equivalent of (Rose couldn't remember what the Doctor called it), was lavender and somehow gave the appearance of softness. Around the small beach, trees with white trunks and yellow leaves swayed in the slight breeze. She didn't think she'd ever seen a place so beautiful.

"Rose!" Rose blinked out of her thoughts as he came running over to her in his navy blue swim trunks, wiping his hand through his hair to try and dispel some of the water. "You'll never believe what I've just found!"

Pushing herself up, she dusted the fine sands off of her body and peeked up at him. She had never seen him wear so little, in either generation, so to see him in only shorts was definitely a surprise. He really was a beanpole underneath his suit, but the lean muscles from running accentuated it nicely enough that she didn't feel like she'd break him if she hugged him too hard. Not to mention his infallibly nice bum. Finally glancing at his face, she realized she had been checking out his body for probably an unreasonable amount of time. Thankfully he was too wrapped up in whatever he found to notice her ogling.

"So what is it then?"

He beamed at her and thrust a small shell out in his hand, as if it would speak for itself.

Rose furrowed her eyebrows and peered at it, poking it with her finger. As soon as her finger touched the shell, small blue claws reached out and scuttled up the Doctor's arm. "A hermit crab?"

The Doctor gasped as if he had insulted her, "Not just any hermit crab! The first hermit crab on this planet. The first living creature to make a home on this planet, actually. There shouldn't be any living creature here until 4506, but this little guy," he explained poking him once more so he would scuttle back down to his palm, "just didn't want to wait, and well. Here he is!"

Rose chuckled and nodded towards the tiny crab, "My mate when I was younger, Kenny, used to have a few of those. Didn't live very long, mind you, and every time I would hold 'em they would pinch me but… they were still cute, I suppose."

The Doctor flopped down on the sand and began to play with the little guy, chancing a glance up to catch her gaze. "I bet he wouldn't pinch you."

Rose gave a nervous smile and sat down next to him, bumping their knees together as she sat, "Yeah?"

The Doctor nodded, scooping up the hermit crab and, after Rose allowed it, place him in the palm of her hand. "You may have just been holding them wrong when you were younger. You need to spread your palm out so he has nothing to hold onto, and therefore nothing to pinch. Also, don't make any sudden movements. It provokes them to pinch so they can steady themselves."

Rose nodded and did as he said, carefully holding the small crab as it moved its way around her hand. After a few minutes she set him back down on the beach. The Doctor didn't try to stop him from getting away, just watching as it snuck its way back toward the water. She peered up at him, expecting him to still be watching the spot that the hermit crab had disappeared at, but was surprised to find him staring at her. She blushed and looked down. He was staring at her with something akin to admiration, but for what she couldn't be sure. All she had done was held a lousy hermit crab.

Clearing her throat she stood up, holding out her hand to help him up, "I'm gonna go swimming, if you wanna come."

He smiled and nodded, gripping her hand lightly. When their feet touched the water the Doctor scooped her up by her legs and went crashing into the water, laughing as she shrieked and attempted to splash him while he still held her fireman style. When they were about waist deep he dumped her into the water, swimming away quickly as she came up and tried to dunk him again.

"Oh it's on!" Rose yelled, nearly tackling the Doctor down in his effort to swim away. They went on this way for hours, occasionally taking breaks to lie in the sun and recuperate. Finally, the sun began to set, casting vivid blues, pinks, and yellows across the landscape.

Rose sighed happily, leaning her head on the Doctor's shoulder as he wound an arm around her. "S' beautiful," Rose murmured, not wanting to break the moment that had overtaken them.

The Doctor nodded, and Rose could have sworn she felt his lips brush her hair. It felt like an electric current sped through her body, immediately washing away the calm she had felt. They were sitting together on a beach, with his arm wrapped around her and her head resting on his shoulder, looking _distinctly_ like a couple. Which they were not, no matter how hard Rose wished they were.

Taking a shaky breath that she prayed hadn't been too loud she asked, "So how are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?" The confusion in his voice was obvious, and Rose hoped she wasn't sounding idiotic.

"Well, lately you've been tired and you've been eating more, and you had said you were still recuperating from the regeneration. So I was just wondering how you were doing."

"Oh, yeah I'm getting better. Still a bit more tired than I ought to be, but that should be gone in oh? A week, maybe? Yeah, probably a week. This regeneration is taking longer to recover than the others had." He spoke lightly, but she could practically feel the tension radiating out from him as he spoke about regeneration.

Taking her hand closest to the Doctor's body, she wound her fingers through his and squeezed. "'M sure it'll get easier."

He nodded and risked a look down at her, "And what about you? How have you been coping?"

"Fine," she responded quickly. It was only a partial lie- his change has been getting easier for her now that she could see he was still under there. The first week had been challenging though. It had felt like a betrayal. She thought she was his best friend, yet he didn't tell her this big detail of his life. He didn't tell her he could die, change his face, and all of a sudden be living again. She accepted it now, though. She hasn't told him every single detail of her life, so she shouldn't expect him to tell her every single detail of his. Still, it did hurt, and sometimes when she was trying to fall asleep she could feel the familiar pang of sadness.

He raised an eyebrow at her quick answer and pulled away so that they were only connected by their hands. "Rose."

She shook her head, "I told ya, I'm fine. Just cause ya went and regenerated doesn't mean you're not you." She repeated it to herself like a mantra.

"That's not what you said two weeks ago."

She winced at the memory of her yelling at him to 'bring him back!' "I had no idea what happened two weeks ago. Now I do, and I've moved on."

"Right."

"You don't believe me," it was a statement rather than a question. Rose had no doubt he didn't believe her.

"You've been looking at me funny for the past three weeks and you've barely hung out with me when we aren't running for our lives. So no, I don't believe you."

Rose sighed, "I'm just upset alrigh'? I thought I knew you, but then you went and…. Look it doesn't matter. Despite what you may believe, I've come to terms with it all. 'S fine."

"Wait. Finish that sentence. The 'I thought I knew you, but then you went and,' sentence," he gazes at her, searching her eyes for something.

"Does it really matter?"

"Does it really… Of course it matters!"

She crossed her arms, "Oh and all of a sudden you of all people want to talk?"

He frowned at her and shook his head, "Rose I just want things to be right between us."

She sighed and steeled herself. There wasn't much arguing about that. It was what she wanted too. "I- I thought I knew you, but then you went and… and regenerated and I just… I thought you and I were close. Close enough that you would tell me major facts about yourself, such as, I don't know, _regeneration._ I know I'm only human but-."

"Stop," he interrupted her. "Rose, how could you-." He closed his eyes and breathed out through his nose before regarding her warmly once more. "You're the closest a companion as ever gotten to me. You're wonderful and happy and light and you _saved_ me. I got so caught up in you that I didn't really think about how my…abilities, per se, would affect you. Beyond two hearts and a binary vascular system, I didn't think there was much else to tell you. I mean there's always more to tell you like different planets and things and… That didn't come out right."

Rose gave a shaky laughed and shook her head, squeezing his hand once more. "No, no, it's going great. Please, continue."

He gave her a disarming smile. Unable to stop himself he cupped her check, running his thumb under her jaw. "Never, ever think that you're only human. Humans are amazing, and even if they weren't, _you_ are. I'm… I'm sorry I never got around to telling you about regeneration, but you should never think less of _yourself_ for that. If anything, you should just hate me for that and-."

The next moment moved to quickly for the Doctor to really process what was happening but in the next moment her lips were on his and her hands were clasped around his neck, noses bumping as she tried to get as close to him as she could. He had dreamed of kissing her lips for more than a year now, but he was unable to get his body to react now that it was actually happening. After a beat of kissing an inactive Doctor, Rose pulled away, rapidly turning the color of her namesake.

"I'm- I'm," she stuttered, trying to find a reason to get away, to just run from her actions. She had taken a perfectly amazing night and ruined just because she couldn't control herself and she _had_ to get out of here. "I'm gonna go back to the Tardis." Standing up quickly and looking ahead to mask the tears that had started to pool in her eyes, she took one step forward before his hand shot out to grasp her wrist.

The Doctor tugged her back down so that she landed half on his lap and cupped her face with his hands. Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, he leaned close to rest his forehead against hers. She gazed at him in confusion, but the confusion disappeared as she watched his eyes flicker down to her lips. Her breathing hitched as he bumped her nose sweetly with his, eyes widening as he moved close enough for her to feel his breath puffing over her. In a short move, the Doctor covered her mouth with his, sliding his lips over hers slowly. Eyes fluttering shut, Rose responded, parting her lips to catch the Doctor's bottom lip between them, eliciting a moan. She circled her arms behind the Doctor's head while he placed his on her hips, pulling her closer until they both toppled to the ground, him under her. The Doctor groaned again at the feel of her warm body pressing on his, jolting Rose out of the kiss.

Rose hovered over the Doctor, panting. Her heart was thundering and she was positive he could hear it. Forcing her eyes to meet his, she nearly combusted from the raw emotion hidden there. If she had any doubt before, she didn't have any now. He may not say it, but _he was the same Doctor, and he still loved her._ Still, she didn't want to rush this, whatever this was. Giving him a quick peck on the lips that turned out to be not-so-quick, she stood up, holding out a hand to pull him up as well. Hugging him tightly, she murmured into his chest, "Thank you."

He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. He had fallen so hard for this tiny human girl who had saved his life too many times to count. Any hope he had of giving her a normal human life was gone; he was far too selfish and she was far too stubborn, especially now that things had…escalated. He loved her, and somehow, he was nearly positive that she loved him. She was his sun, and he was sure he would die when she did.


End file.
